


Fierce Protection

by DS_Blxck



Series: The Tales of the Daltons' Adopted Sister [2]
Category: Les Dalton | The Daltons (Cartoon), Les Nouvelles Aventures de Lucky Luke | The New Adventures of Lucky Luke (Cartoon)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Anger, BAMF Averell Dalton, Big Brothers, Brother-Sister Relationships, Bully Gets what She Deserves, Bullying, Ice Cream, Other, Out of Character, Out of Character Averell Dalton, Overprotective Siblings, Protective Older Brothers, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, Strong Language, defense, parks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:35:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23171806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DS_Blxck/pseuds/DS_Blxck
Summary: Avianna and Averell simply want to enjoy a beautiful day in the park but even that doesn't go according to plan.Three words: ruined park outing.ONE-SHOT.
Relationships: Averell Dalton & Original Character(s)
Series: The Tales of the Daltons' Adopted Sister [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616005
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Fierce Protection

**Author's Note:**

> Where Averell is 19 and Avianna is 9. Setting: in the park.

Avianna Dalton smiled as she took the ice cream cone that was handed to her by the vendor. Immediately, she licked the pale pink serving and hummed in contentment as the rich cherry and yogurt flavours hit her taste buds. Beside her, her brother Averell chuckled as he handed the money to the man. He himself had a cone upon which two scoops of ice cream were beginning to melt. He pocketed the change and the two of them began walking down in the opposite direction, towards the serene blue lake that sat in the middle of the park. 

Joe had brought them all to a new town in the neighbouring state of Utah for the sole purpose of robbing its bank. He wanted their name to become famous over there as well. However, Averell did not want to participate in the robbery, preferring to spent the scalding hot day somewhere cooler like the inviting park they were currently in. Plus, he did not want to drag Avianna along in their illegal activities as she had insisted and begged on her knees to come with them. She, who had a very curious nature, was taking every opportunity to explore new places. The youngest of the four brothers’ reluctance to tag along had resulted into a heated argument between him and Joe, which ended with the older one punching him straight in the nose and telling him to disappear from his sight. Upset, but relieved, Averell had let himself be dragged away by a furious Avianna who had then ranted for minutes about Joe’s unfair and outrageous behaviour while handing him a tissue and a band-aid. To calm themselves down, the two siblings had decided to have a walk in the park they had taken refuge in. Shortly after, they had spotted the ice-cream truck on the path, where they had purchased their snacks. 

Avianna gasped as she almost dropped her napkin. She caught it by the corner just in time and stuffed it in her pocket. The last thing she needed was the wind to snatch it out from her sticky fingers, leaving her with a dripping ice-cream and a stained shirt. Suddenly, a pale green orb appeared in her vision as a cone was thrusted in front of her.

“Would you like to have a taste?” Averell asked her.

His sister nodded with a smile and took a small bite, her eyes widening slightly as she fell in love with the pistachio flavoured ice-cream.

“Ohh, this is really good!” she exclaimed.

The man shot her a toothy grin as a response. Avianna rolled her eyes good-heartedly and echoed his previous question as she handed him her own frozen dessert. 

“Of course!” Averell said… before biting a huge chunk off. 

“Hey!” the girl exclaimed indignantly. “I said ‘taste’, not ‘eat the whole thing’!”

Her brother simply laughed at her expression and leaned down to mess her hair up. 

“You’re impossible”, Avianna grumbled, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

Soon enough, the two were laughing as they headed down the trail, Joe and the others forgotten. The lake in front of them was as smooth as a mirror and beautiful. The big, leafy trees were perfectly reflected in the clear water. A family of ducks was swimming near the opposite shore, looking as peaceful as the people relaxing on the grass and on the benches around the water. Avianna and Averell’s conversation died out and a comfortable silence settled between them. They finished their ice-creams – Averell finishing first despite having eaten two scoops instead of Avianna’s one – then continued strolling down the shore. They sat down on an empty bench and continued talking. 

“I’ll be right back”, the young girl declared suddenly, standing up. 

Her brother frowned.

“Where are you going?” he inquired.

“Just to the bathroom”, Avianna informed. “I’ll be quick, don’t worry.”

She pointed to a small wooden cabin not far from where they were. Averell nodded, his frown not leaving his face. He didn’t like the prospect of his nine-year-old sister going anywhere alone, but he couldn’t deny her from her basic needs. Plus, their resting place was close enough so he could keep an eye on her and be there quickly if, by any chance, she happened to encounter some trouble.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice a young woman who looked older than him approach him. Therefore, he literally jumped from the surprise when she sat down right beside him, so close that their shoulders touched. 

“Hello, handsome”, she purred.

She put a hand on his forearm as she slid even closer to him. Averell suppressed an uncomfortable shudder and discretely edged backwards. 

“Good afternoon, ma’am”, he greeted as politely as he could. 

To his misfortune, the woman closed the small distance he had managed to create and continued to approach him every time he moved back. The reeking perfume she wore threatened to choke him and it took him a gigantic effort to not burst into a fit of coughing right then and there. She wore heavy makeup and the clothing she wore was so form-fitting it left little to the imagination.

“What are you doing here, all alone?” she continued. 

“Actually, I’m not alone”, Averell replied, his patience beginning to wear thin. 

He shook his arm from her grasp and stood up. The woman followed suit, naturally, so he took a step back.

“I’m with–” 

“But I don’t see anyone!” she whined, walking towards him once more. “Oh, unless they abandoned you…”

The young man wanted to yell, growl, run or all of the above. Why couldn’t she just leave him alone? He schooled his features and looked at her straight into her heavily-painted eyes.

“Look, I appreciate your sentiment, but I’m fine”, he said, internally wincing at his words. That creature in front of him had zero ounce of sympathy in her, but he had to be well-mannered. He won’t stoop down to her level. “Anyways, I have to leave.”

“Avey?” a small voice sounded from behind him. “You wanted to tell me about–”

Avianna trailed off as she noticed the woman in front of her brother. Shyness overcame her and she stepped behind Averell’s tall form.

“Hello”, she mumbled as she peaked out from behind his leg.

Averell groaned internally. Of all the possible moments…

Beside him, the lady scoffed.

“Oh great, just what we needed”, she said. “A stupid _child_.”

Avianna looked stricken and her mouth fell agape. However, the woman was so focused on her that she was completely oblivious to the man beside her who stiffened in outrage. 

“Now look here, midget”, she continued. “As you can see, or could if you actually had some sense in that tiny little brain of yours, we’re clearly busy, so why don’t you just fuck off, huh? Who are you even to be hanging around here?”

The nine-year-old girl’s chin trembled and she bit her lip to prevent herself from crying. She wouldn’t cry in public, especially not in front of that rude cow! Her eyes fell onto her older brother… and she froze.

“Yeah, go cry to your mommy and daddy”, the woman sneered.

A hand suddenly grabbed her by her collar and brutally turned her around. She paled as her gaze fell onto Averell’s irate expression. She felt dwarfed by his much greater height and the intensity of his stare. The man was shaking with fury. His jaw was clenched and his sharp eyes were narrowed into slits. He was seeing red; people talking to him in such a degrading way was one thing. He could tolerate that. He was known as the dumb one anyways and he was perfectly fine with that. The fewer people who knew him for who he really was, the better. Even his own brothers were not sure if the intelligent and creative boy he once was still existed. They also believed him to be a weak and simple-minded person who didn’t know how to properly take care of himself and who couldn’t make his own decisions.

On the other hand, he would absolutely _not_ allow _anyone_ to talk to Avianna in the same manner. She was the sweetest and the kindest person on the entire planet; she cared more about him than their mother and brothers did! She was just an innocent child who didn’t do a single thing to her to annoy her, nor to anyone else in that matter! His little sister did not deserve at all to be treated like an inferior being, especially not by a such disrespectful person! 

“Who is she?” Averell snarled, his voice dangerously low. “ _She_ is my little sister whom you just badmouthed! How _dare_ you speak to her in such a despicable way?! She’s more of a person than you could ever wish to be! Now, apologize to her!”

Any sentient being within their right minds would put a distance between themselves and the young adult as hastily as it was humanly possible, but the woman was not about to give up that easily. Swallowing her fear, she attempted to reason with him.

“I didn’t know!” she squeaked. “It’s just that… that I despise children and I thought…”

She cut herself off as she realized that her words did nothing to help her predicament. On the opposite, she just dug herself a bigger grave. Averell roughly let go of her and did not bother to hide his revulsion as he wiped his hand on his jeans. 

“Get away from us before I do something I might regret”, he thundered menacingly. “You have long overstayed your welcome, not that you were appreciated to begin with. Did you _really_ think I would fall for your little scheme?”

The pitiful excuse of a woman stumbled back a couple of steps.

“B-but”, she stuttered miserably.

“No buts!” Averell shouted. “I’ve heard enough! Get out of my sight _right now_!”

He sounded every bit as aggressive as Joe had previously been with him but he couldn’t care any less at that moment. He was completely riled up and thoroughly appalled by what had transpired during these past minutes. His chest was heaving and his clenched fists were trembling madly. 

“Avey?” he heard again. 

Avianna… Oh no… she saw everything. What did she think of him now? He completely lost control! Slowly he turned around and he fearfully looked upon his beloved sister. She was staring back at him, flabbergasted. She opened her mouth and Averell flinched, bracing himself for the screams, the cries or flight. None of the above came. Instead, the girl breathed out a single word.

“Woah…”

The young man almost choked on air. _“Woah”_? That’s it? No fear? No disappointment? No… _anything_? He barely dared to move, not wanting to terrify her even further. Beside them, an older couple kept throwing the two of them furtive glances, but they went unnoticed by the siblings. 

“Avianna”, Averell began miserably. “I’m so sorry…”

He was floored when she smiled thinly.

“That was awesome”, she declared. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Wha- you… you’re not afraid?”

Avianna shook her head.

“Nope!”

In reality, she was a little scared. Averell, the normally even-tempered Averell, had been downright intimidating. He had not lost his patience once during the two years that had passed since the day she had been adopted by his family. Yes, she had seen him being sad and frustrated, but she had never witnessed such an outburst before. It was overwhelming. Despite being shocked, a heartwarming feeling of gratefulness enveloped her. He had defended her. He had become furious because an ignorant person had insulted her. She felt a new wave of respect for the man standing in front of her. He had told her before that he would always watch out for her, but now that she’d seen it in action with her own eyes, she believed it even more. From that moment on, he had earned her full trust.

“Just remind me not to get on your bad side”, she added lightly. 

Averell couldn't help but smile.

“Deal”, he agreed. “Are you ready to go?” he added, extending a hand towards Avianna.

His sister grinned brightly and took a hold of the offered hand.

“Yep!” she exclaimed. 

The two of them slowly made their way back, chatting amiably all the way.

*~*


End file.
